Two phase protective car seat cover for child and infant safety chairs

• US 8,042,241 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Prince Lionheart Inc
• Original Assignee: Prince Lionheart Inc
• Inventors: McConnell, Thomas E., Henley, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; John C
• Application Number:
  US12/729,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20100187869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 297/182, 297/219.1, 297/188.01, 297/224, 297/229, 297/219.12, 297/256.16, 297/256.1, 297/253, 297/183.5, 297/188.2, 29/911, 29/91, 29/912
• US Class Current: 29/91.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/60 Removable protective coverings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method

Abstract

There is provided a seat cover for accommodating a child safety chair upon a seat. The seat cover comprises a lower protective member which is disposable upon a seating portion of the seat. This lower member can accommodate the child safety chair when positioned in a rearward-facing direction to prevent it from permanently compressing the seating portion. The seat cover further comprises an upper protective member that is disposable against a seat-back portion of the seat. This upper member is selectively attachable with and detachable from the lower member. By doing so, the upper member can further prevent the chair from permanently compressing the seat-back portion when it is repositioned in a forward-facing direction and placed in contact therewith.

Claims

1. A seat cover for protecting an automobile seat from a child safety seat positioned thereon, said seat cover comprising:

a lower protective member configured to be positioned on an automobile seat between a seat bottom portion of an automobile seat and a child safety seat;

wherein the child safety seat can be positioned either in a forward-facing orientation or a rear-facing orientation;

the lower protective member being adapted to remain disposed on the seat bottom portion of the automobile seat when the child safety seat is the forward facing or the rear facing orientation;

wherein the lower protective member comprises one or more rigid or semi-rigid materials that provide at least some degree of cushioning when the child safety seat is positioned thereon;

wherein the at least some degree of cushioning is accomplished, at least in part, by at least a partial compression of the at least one or more rigid or semi-rigid materials when the child safety seat is positioned thereon;

an upper protective member configured to be disposed on the automobile seat between a seat back portion of the automobile seat and a rear portion of the child safety seat when said child safety seat is in the forward facing orientation;

wherein the upper protective member is configured to substantially prevent contact between the rear portion of the child safety seat and the seat back portion of the automobile seat; and

wherein the upper protective member is configured to be disposed adjacent to the lower protective member and to be selectively removable when the child safety seat is a rear facing orientation.

2. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the upper protective member comprises an upper end, the upper end extending to a height along a seat back section so as to prevent contact between the seat back portion and a child safety positioned in a forward-facing orientation.

3. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material.

4. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the lower protective member comprises a tactile material configured to provide frictional resistance between the lower protective member and an adjacent surface of a child safety seat.

5. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises at least one folding line configured to permit the lower protective member or the upper protective member to generally conform to the shape of an adjacent surface of an automobile seat.

6. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a protective covering material.

7. The seat cover of claim 6, wherein the protective covering material comprises nylon fabric.

8. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the lower protective member comprises a peripheral edge for spill containment.

9. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the lower protective member comprises a pocket, the pocket configured to hold at least one item.

10. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein the lower protective member is configured to selectively attach to and detach from the upper protective member.

18. The seat cover of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a foamed polymer.

11. A protective seat cover for positioning forward-facing and rear-facing child safety seats on an automobile seat, comprising:

a lower protective member;

an upper protective member;

the lower protective member adapted for placement on an automobile seat between a seat bottom of the automobile seat and a bottom portion of either a forward-facing child safety seat or a rear-facing child safety seat;

the upper protective member adapted for placement on the automobile seat between a seat back of the automobile seat and the rear portion of a forward-facing child safety seat;

wherein the upper protective member is configured to substantially prevent contact between the rear portion of the forward-facing child safety seat and the seat back of the automobile seat;

wherein the upper protective member is configured to be disposed adjacent to the lower protective member and to be selectively removable when a rear-facing child safety seat is positioned on the protective seat cover;

wherein each of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises one or more materials that provide at least some degree of cushioning when a forward-facing or a rear-facing child safety seat is positioned thereagainst;

wherein the at least some degree of cushioning is accomplished, at least in part, by at least a partial compression of the one or more materials when a forward-facing or a rear-facing child safety seat is positioned against the lower protective member or the upper protective member;

wherein at least one of the upper protective member and the lower protective member comprises a folding line;

wherein the upper protective member is configured to generally conform to a contoured shape of the seat back of the automobile seat; and

wherein the lower protective member is configured to distribute forces from the child safety seat upon the seat bottom of the automobile seat.

12. The seat cover of claim 11, wherein the upper protective member is selectively attachable to and detachable from the lower protective member.

13. The seat cover of claim 11, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a polymer.

14. The seat cover of claim 11, wherein the lower protective member comprises a ridge that extends at least partially along an outer periphery, said ridge being configured to at least partially contain liquids.

15. The seat cover of claim 11, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a protective covering material.

16. The seat cover of claim 15, wherein the protective covering material comprises nylon fabric.

17. The seat cover of claim 11, wherein the lower protective member comprises a tactile surface configured to provide frictional resistance between the lower protective member and an adjacent surface of a forward-facing or a rear-facing child safety seat.

19. The seat cover of claim 11, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material.

20. The seat cover of claim 11, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a foamed polymer.